Wauwatosa West High School • March 2016 • wauwatosawest.com
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Wauwatosa West High School • March 2016 • wauwatosawest.com
WEST SIDE STORIES
STAFF Advisor Chris Lazarski Leadership Team Chris Bravata Rick Sear Zoe Stack Reporters Anna Baish Melissa Biefeld Daija Chomicki Spencer Forsmo Aidan Gabriel Kenna Gallegos-Roll Jade Grippe Rachel Haynes Spencer Johnson Tracie Johnson David Jones-Nelson Amy Lunde Anthony Moroder Ruth Niles Elizabeth Peterson Alicia Picard Autumn Ritenour Nadiyah Salawdeh Alexis Szuta Teresa Toohill Lyzi Torres Henry Tyson Sean VanZeeland Ariyanna Varnell Kashara Williams Kelly Wisniewski Melissa Wittig
OUR PHILOSOPHY West Side Stories (WSS) believes that it is essential to preserve the freedom of the press in order to preserve a free society. Therefore, WSS will resist all attempts at censorship and will serve the best interests of the students. WSS will be guided in publication by a concern for the truth, will strive to provide a comprehensive account of events in the school and community, will strive to be a leader of student opinion through its editorials, and will be an open forum of the exchange of comment and criticism. WSS’s editorial page will take stands on important issues, will help protect the rights of students, will support groups seeking the betterment of the community, and will serve as a constructive critic. Columns and reviews will be signed unless there is a consensus of opinion among the WSS editors. Copies of the complete WSS editorial policy are available upon request via email.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters are accepted from all readers. Editors have the right to edit for length and obscenity, but will not alter the original meaning of the materials. All submitted letters must be signed. Please submit letters at the Journalism Office, Room 267. If there is no one there, slide your letter under the door.
CONTACT US Email: westsidestories@gmail.com Web: wauwatosawest.com Twitter: @wauwatosawest Facebook: /wauwatosawest Instagram: @wauwatosawest YouTube: West Side Stories Tosa West Snapchat: wauwatosawest Journalism Office: Room 267
Layout & Design Rick Sear
Cover photo by AMY LUNDE
HONEST OPINIONS
LETTER FROM A READER Dear West Side Stories Editor, Congrats Alexis Szuta on a well-written article about our new tardy policy. I appreciate her helping to get the word out so all of our students are in their first hour class on time. I agreed to provide quotes for the article, but I cannot take credit for developing the tardy policy on my own. The entire high school administrative team (East and West) researched together and collaborated to come up with what we hoped would be an effective and fair policy. After a lot of thought, time, and effort, we think we are moving in the right direction. We sincerely thank the student body for doing their part to reduce first hour tardies, as well, we commend the staff for the stringent and consistent enforcement of the policy. Be on time, Trojans. - Clint Grochowski, Associate Principal, January 18, 2016
STUDENT QUESTIONS VALUE OF A.C.T. I have never been good at taking standardized tests. I freeze. I blank. I forget. And then I don’t do well. It’s annoying when taking a test in Algebra, but a disaster when you are taking the ACT. Seems unfair. I am convinced the ACT will not measure how well I will do in college. I work hard. I am a good student. Bad test takers unite! The ACT may not be everything it is cracked up to be.
dents feel bad about themselves, and another obstacle for them getting into a good college since colleges value them too much. Each student has their own strengths and weaknesses so they shouldn’t be punished for it. ACT’s can make colleges pass up well educated students just because they don’t test well or don’t do well in a certain subject.”
A study of 33 colleges by the National Association of College Schools look at more than just the test scores a student receives, Admission Counseling (NACAC), released in February of 2014, but the ACT still plays a huge role. found that high school grades are a better indicator of college performance than the ACT or SAT. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee admissions counselor Marissa Trgo explains: “We look at everything as a whole, such as The principal investigator of the aforementioned study, William transcripts, application statements, extracurricular activities, and C. Hiss, said, “Few significant differences between submitters letters of recommendation. If a student has a low GPA, then we and non-submitters of testing were observed in cumulative GPAs look at ACT, or the opposite. It all depends.” and graduation rates, despite significant differences in SAT/ACT scores.” The positions of UWM admissions and Wauwatosa West counselors are valid, because a person is more than just a standardized “The most common college admission tests, the ACT and SAT, test score. while somewhat imperfect in their ability to predict student success in college, still remain the best and most researched tools The New York Times recommends less emphasis on standardized available to colleges to measure all high school applicants using tests scores which are largely correlated with family income. the same metaphorical yardstick,” said Wauwatosa West Counselor Brian Hoffman. Many students overall have a high potential for achieving great things; just because one test’s score shows that they’re under avHowever, some students don’t perform as well as other students erage or tested low shouldn’t be reflected on them and how they when it comes to taking standardized tests. But should that mean perform as a student. It most definitely should not affect their they don’t get accepted into a certain college because of that one likelihood of getting into college or getting closer to achieving score? the things they are capable of achieving. Senior Amy Lunde stated her opinion on this issue, and it con- -Tracie Johnson curs with my own. “The ACT is just another way to make stu-
SCHOOL NEWS
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY:
SECURITY THREATS AT WEST
by ZOE STACK
Wauwatosa West is still abuzz about the two threats that were made to the school within the last two weeks. The first threat came on Wednesday, March 9th, and the second threat five days later, on the 14th. The first threat resulted in students being evacuated to the gym for just over an hour before returning to classes. The second threat resulted in an evacuation to Eisenhower Elementary during third period. Classes were then canceled and all students and staff were sent home for the remainder of the day. The first threat was made via an anonymous phone call, and the second was found on a note written on the wall of a school bathroom. On both occasions, the Wauwatosa and the Milwaukee police departments were called to assist in searching the building; in addition, the Milwaukee County K-9 unit was brought in to help clear the building. “There is a lot of tension. Teachers are really pissed off; you can tell. I feel that this was just like the cherry on top, and now they’re being put in a situation where we have bomb threats once a week and nobody knows anything ever, and it’s causing a lot of tension between students and teachers and teachers and administration,” said junior Mia Zovik on the effect the two threats have had on the the school. Although neither threat was considered credible at the time, district protocol requires administrators to assume credibility. “Initially, we look at them all as if they are credible and we don’t judge. The first thing we do is determine that things are safe for students and staff. Whether or not they are credible is [determined after] the fact,” said Superintendent Dr. Phil Ertl. The safety of staff and students was emphasized many times by police and district administrators during and after both the threats. “Some of you are probably stressed, some of you are afraid and probably have a lot of questions, but you all know here at Wauwatosa West High School, Wauwatosa Police Department, Wauwatosa School district, safety is very important. So we take that very seriously,” said Officer Farris Griffin to the students after the first threat was made towards the school. Student reactions after each of the two threats varied greatly. However, most seemed to doubt that anything would actually happen. “I don’t know, I feel like it could be like
serious, or it could just be a dumb senior just trying to get like a longer spring break or something like that; some dumb thing. But I don’t really know,” said sophomore Katie Herring, following the second of the two threats. Other students were much more concerned for the safety of themselves and their fellow students. “I was really scared at first when they said they received a phone call, because usually when they make announcements about us having drills they announce it. I was really afraid. And I started panicking when I saw everyone you know, rushing out of their class into the gym, and I started getting worried, because I was wondering this whole time, what was the call saying you know, who was on the phone. What were they saying? What threats were they making? What is going to happen to us,” said junior Adriana Hamilton after the first threat was made on Monday the 9th. Others remained positive that there was never anything to worry about. “We had three my freshman year, and nothing came of it, what’s going to come of this one, you know? It’s just some kid who wants an excuse to skip out on school,” said senior Katie Dickey after the first threat was made. She later added, “I hope they’re going to let us get back to class, because I have stuff to work on that is important.” There was a fair amount of frustration on the part of students during the first threat, and a heightened feeling of irritation during the second. However, some teachers disagreed with the unrest and felt that the protocol must be followed for everyone’s own good. “It’s very important to the drills, to take the evacuation seriously, and that students and teachers need to realize that it’s not an inconvenience, it’s simply insuring the safety of a thousand people. And you have to go beyond yourself and not worry about your time and your inconvenience until everybody is safe and secure,” said German teacher Karin Awve. Parents of West students appreciated that the school was ensuring the safety of their students, even though they tended to lean towards thinking that nothing would come of these threats. “While I generally feel that these bomb threats are all fake, there is concern that this will be the time that it is real,” said the mother of junior Angelica Anagnostopou-
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los. Wauwatosa West’s two threats have joined a steadily growing list of schools that have also received threats towards the safety of their staff and students. Since the beginning of 2016, six other high schools, Hartford Union High School, Homestead High School, Watertown High School, Amery School District, Madison East High school, and West Allis Central High School have all received some form of threat. West Allis Central has received three threats on three consecutive days. Hartford, Homestead, Watertown, and West Allis all canceled classes for full or partial days in response to their received threats. Of the six schools, four of them have identified and made arrests over the threats made towards their respective schools. Hartford Union arrested a 19 year old student, Homestead a 15 year old, Watertown a 16 year old, and a 16 year old freshman was arrested for two of the three threats that were made toward West Allis Central. The Wauwatosa Police Department has made an arrest for the Wednesday, March 9th threat. Wauwatosa West Administration says that the person arrested is a juvenile. Fox 6 News reports that the suspect has been referred to the Milwaukee County Children’s Court Center with a felony charge of Bomb Scare. The suspect is not thought to have any connection to the Monday, March 14th threat; however, the district remains certain they will be caught. “At this point, the investigation is continuing for both threats that occurred. I am confident that the Wauwatosa Police Department will find the people that are involved in both of these situations. Their track record of finding people that make threats to schools has been tremendous over the past 10 years. If they are students, they will be referred to the School Board for expulsion and face felony charges that include significant restitution,” said Ertl in an email that was sent out to parents. “The thing that people don’t recognize is that no matter how you try to block a phone call, it can be tracked,” said Ertl. Hefty fines are waiting for whomever has committed this act, which is actually a felony. The culprit is going to be facing a $10,000 fine, a two year suspension on their driver’s license, expulsion from the school district, arrest and referral for felony charges, and their family will be responsible for $20,000 in restitution fines. If the same per-
son is responsible for both threats, according to a contact at the Wauwatosa Police Station, they will be held accountable for two individual charges. In addition to the aforementioned charges, Dr. Ertl is planning on asking the court to require the perpetrator to pay a full day of teacher wages in addition to the fines and restitution already required. How punishment is going to be handled is an important issue for West parents. “We would like the district to permanently expel students who make threats and file charges with the police,” said the parents of senior Alicia Picard. Since the threats, West High School has made some major changes to their evacuation policy. Students felt that there was one major issue during both threats: a lack of organization and of communication. “I thought the first time was handled poorly. Parents weren’t informed, which lead to more nerves. I didn’t really like how nobody knew what was going on. I understand you can only do so much, but when I asked teachers, I expected a response; that they’d have an answer that my life is not in complete danger. I just didn’t like that they had no idea what was going on. They were just as clueless as we were,” said Zovic on the school’s response to the first threat. Administration does say that there was some confusion during the second threat, during the evacuation over to Eisenhower because “we didn’t give clear directions,” but plans have now changed. Should another evacuation occur, students will now be taken over to Whitman Middle School, where they will meet up and wait with their Advisory teachers until the high school building has been cleared and everyone can return to class. “I think it’s sad and excessive. I think it brought to light how [un]organized we are when it comes to these types of things. If anything, I don’t know, maybe it’s a good thinking that it happened, because we got our shit together,” said junior Josie McMurphy. If anyone has any information regarding the threats there is a reward of $1,000 cash and a new iPad. Should you wish your information to remain anonymous, you can contact the Wauwatosa Crime Stoppers by texting “Tosa” to Crimes (274637). All texts will be anonymous and the informee will still be eligible for the reward.
Community features
TOSA COFFEE SHOPS COLECTIVO
By JADE GRIPPE, LYZI TORRES, & MELISSA WITTIG
LOCATED: 9125 W North Ave, Milwaukee (one of many locations) WEST SIDE STORIES RATING: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Colectivo Coffee is one of the top go-to’s for coffees for all ages. It is a mini restaurant with lots of different lunch-y type foods, such as a BLT, or even a panini. The drink menu is endless, ranging from your classic black cup of joe, to a chocolate mocha shake. The trendy coffee shop has multiple locations, and with each location comes multiple areas to sit and enjoy your cup of coffee, or get lost in the latest novel. While each shop is different, there is normally a trend in the layout: one area with casual tables to eat, a casual area with comfy couches for intimate talks, and at some locations even an outdoor seating area with a fire pit. All in all, Collectivo is a great shop to get whatever type of coffee fits your needs.
STONE CREEK
LOCATED: 8340 W Bluemound Rd, Milwaukee WEST SIDE STORIES RATING: ♦ ♦ ♦
Stone Creek Coffee is a smaller coffee shop with a basic coffee menu. They have anything ranging from a cappuccino to a cup of tea, and although the menu is simple, the drinks are quality, and the baristas really take time to produce a good drink. Rather than a sit-down and chat type of coffee shop, it is more of a stop-and-go, and the workers make sure your wait isn’t too long. However, it was noticeable that the pastry menu was less than desirable, there being little to no treats to choose from, depending on the time of day. Although their menus were small, it was nice that the shop was smaller, more intimate, and less chaotic compared to other coffee shops.
VALENTINE
LOCATED: 5918 W Vliet St, Milwaukee WEST SIDE STORIES RATING: ♦ ♦ ♦
If you fall under the category of a coffee addict, then Valentine Coffee is the place for you. With more than 15 different “by the cup” coffee options available, this small shop is the place for you to get lost in your coffee or tea. While having an extensive drink menu, their snack options seemed to be lacking. The menu was small compared to other coffee shops. The place itself was a decent size, but it’s not somewhere to sit and cram for finals. Valentine’s setting is a place where you can go and talk with your closest friends for a long time, especially with the long wait. Customers who go to Valentine coffee won’t go for a cheap drink either, seeing as the menu is slightly more expensive compared to other coffee shops in the area.
COFFEEWORKS
LOCATED: 6217 W Greenfield Ave, West Allis WEST SIDE STORIES RATING: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Coffeeworks is a comfortable and spacious coffee shop in West Allis. It has a classic coffee menu, with prices that are nice and low. Not only does Coffee Works have good drinks, but they have a great food menu with tons of specialty sandwiches for you to munch on. The customer service also really shines because of the employees who greet you with a smile on their face and the fast service they provide. Your experience at Coffee Works should be a great one!
Photos taken from Google
wauwatosawest.com • PAGE 5
School News
STUDENTS CONTRIBUTE TO CONCESSIONS
by ARIYANNA VARNELL
Behind every hot dog, pizza, and bag of popcorn sold at the concession stand at Wauwatosa West, there are students who come together to make it all happen. “I love that we get to manage the concession stands and maintain inventory and set up, because it gives me insight to what
a real business is like,” said freshman Ben Reynolds, the manager of Future Business Leaders of America. Future Business Leaders of America or “FBLA” is an extracurricular activity for students who are interested in business and want to improve and learn more about how
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businesses work. There are approximately 23 students, with freshman and sophomores making up the majority of the members. Students get hands on experience running a business. They learn how to handle money and make websites for promoting a
business. “Not only do we work with concessions, we meet almost everyday after school to work on other things that are involved in business,” said Reynolds. Everyone knows that adults could be asked to do everything, but knowing that our students at Wauwatosa West are taking their time to help with concession stand inventory is a big deal. “It gives students a good opportunity for better business skills in a competitive setting,” said Wauwatosa West teacher and FBLA Advisor Nick Heiting. The Wauwatosa West Booster Club, made up of parents and teachers of West students, buys the food and other supplies for the concession stand, but the FBLA students get the food ready for the games. “We offer renting the concession to organizations, they earn 20% or $100 of the profit,” said activity office director and parent member, Christiane Toye. “They never earn less than $100, so if 20% is $80 they will earn $100.” Karin Awve is a German teacher who runs the German Club and the German Honors Society. Awve and her German students have run the concession stand several times. “We have run out of items, mostly because of understocking or an unexpected rush of customers,” said Awve. Some students like the food and some think it can be improved. “The food is basic, but it’s quality. They need a variety of food: chicken 6 piece for $3 or they could do hot flamins with cheese, basically what the general public want,” said junior Micheal Rowser. The concession sells popcorn, nachos, sodas, and chips. A new addition to the food will be pre-cooked brats, and if the response to them is good, they will continue to be sold. “I think that all students in the school should get to have a say in what is sold in the concessions; better food means that more money is being made,” said senior Jonae Tucker.
School News
DIGITAL MUSIC-mAKING IN TOSA
by MICHAEL KOCHANSKI
Enroll in the new music production class which will be offered here at Wauwatosa West High School next fall, and you will be producing music like Kanye West, J Dilla, and Timbaland by next Christmas! Will Ulrich, a music teacher at Wauwatosa Montessori and Longfellow Middle School, saw the potential of a music production class within Wauwatosa High Schools. He took his idea to the Tosa School Board meeting in November, proposed his plan, and ultimately got it accepted. Starting next fall, Digital Music Production will be offered to West and East students. “[My] hope for the class is to allow students to be more prepared for the workplace, encouraging marketing skills, presentations, graphics, et cetera,” said Ulrich. Before creating the class, Ulrich wanted to gauge interested in a potential music class. He surveyed groups of 8th graders who are currently enrolled in a Music and Media course at Longfellow and Whitman middle schools. 83% said they would be interested in taking a music technology course that focused on digital music production. The course will teach students how to create, record, manipulate, and mix sounds using a computer. Students will be using programs such as GarageBand and Audacity on Macs; in addition, they will be using Audiotools.com and Ujam.com, which are
especially useful because they can be utilized on Chromebooks. “It’s a class that explores an introductory way to different forms of digital media as it relates to recording, production, and the performance of music from a technological standpoint. Recordings are currently being made in the studios, and this class has the technology that’s being used in the industry. It gives students not normally involved in music an option to explore careers out of the mainstream career of playing music,” said Wauwatosa West Band director Guy Kammerer. Students expressed excitement over the class, agreeing that it can develop a pathway for careers in music. They also agreed that it can be yet another way to express their love for music. “I think it’s better to teach an alternative to traditional music classes with instruments, and this is perfect for anybody who wants to pursue this as a career,” said junior Kashara Williams. “This is a great idea, because I love music but wasn’t exposed to instruments at a young age. Also, Hip-Hop is a big part of my life, so it’s a clear step in that direction,” said junior Khari Rodgers. Digital Music Production is a one semester, half-credit course. It is open to all grades and no prior knowledge or classes are required.
INTERESTED IN GETTING YOURSELF STARTED? TRY THESE PROGRAMS OUT FOR SIZE:
GARAGEBAND (Mac)
$4.99
AUDIOTOOLS.COM (Web)
UJAM.COM (Web)
FREE
FREE
AUDACITY (Mac/PC) FL STUDIO/FRUITY LOOPS (Mac/PC)
$99
FREE
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THURSDAYS AFTER SCHOOL ROOM 216 Background courtesy of Freepik
wauwatosawest.com • PAGE 7
School News
QUICK BITS FEATURE: MANAGING A JOB DURING HIGH SCHOOL
CHECK UP:
by HENRY TYSON
Tuesdays are always a long day for senior Kenna Gallegos-Roll. She gets up at 6:30 AM, and is at school by 7:45. She stays there until the final bell rings, at which point she rushes home and gets changed. For a lot of people, their day is beginning to wind down at this point, but not so for Gallegos-Roll. She has to get to work, which she won’t be home from until well after 11:30 that night. Everyone at West is busy; whether they have sports, AP classes, clubs, or any other commitments, adding a job on top of that can be very difficult. “The hours that I have are sometimes unfair. I used to work from 4 PM to 1 AM on Friday, and I’d have to open on Saturday, getting there at ten in the morning until eight o’clock at night. And I’d work again on Sunday from ten until eight, and I wouldn’t really have time to do schoolwork, so homework suffered,” said Gallegos-Roll. According to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, there are no restrictions on the number of hours a minor ages 16 or 17 may work, other than that the hours can not be during the time they are required to be in school. However, “for students through the ages of 14 and 15, there are restrictions and guidelines for the hours and time of day that they can work,” says Emily Ko-
det, a Sendik’s Foods HR representative. Younger employees can only work until 6:30 PM during the school week, with shifts lasting up to two and a half hours maximum. This means the employers of juniors and seniors are free to schedule them as often as they want. When the job hours are combined with sports or clubs, this can leave them with packed schedules. This is why, according to a survey conducted on a small number of Tosa West students, 40% of them value flexible hours when finding a job, over the 28% that said they value good pay. “I made sure that during the week I wouldn’t have any problems, so I can just work weekends,” says senior Tony Sadler. Another way of making a job more manageable is to find one that is either within a close proximity to your home or school, or to have a set, reliable way of traveling to and from work. “I find it important for my job to be nearby, and mine, being a mile away, is just the easiest thing to get to,” says Gallegos-Roll. There are a lot of factors that go into finding a job that works best with your schedule and does not end up taking over your life. If these are not paid attention to, you will be left with a full schedule, no time for school, and conflicts between your sports or clubs.
by SYDNEY BOLTON
Graphic based on illustrations by Freepik
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Photo by ALICIA PICARD
G4L Homework POlicy As soon as the final bell of the day rings, students flood the hallways heading to their respective activities-sports practice, going to work, or heading home to grab a snack and crash on the couch. There is one thing that a lot of students do not do: homework. The new standards based grading system-known as Grading for Learninguses district wide benchmarks, or standards, to measure students’ achievement. Homework completion is not counted for a grade, but is encouraged, by teachers and the school district, as a method to help students in practicing for their formative and summative assessments. “Homework should give students time to practice so they will do better on summative assessments. This is true for all courses, not just AP classes,” said Pat Gilbert, District Teacher Leader. Some students agree that completing homework helps them understand and grasp the information presented in their classes. “I feel it’s important,” said freshman Henry Tyson. Homework helps him process and work through the material after learning it in class. This idea was also supported by other students. “I feel I need to do my homework to understand what I’m doing in my hard classes,” said senior Ariyanna Varnell.
However, many students feel homework does not help them, is busy work, and does not correspond to the assessments. “Tests don’t rely on the homework we do,” said junior Debra Tillman. Students have also found it difficult to complete homework since it does not count for a grade. Oftentimes, the teacher does not come to check it in for a completion grade. “We take our time doing homework every night, and we don’t get anything from it,” said Tillman. Some students have some suggestions on how to fix the problem that they feel this new policy has created. “I feel homework should count because of people who aren’t motivated to do it unless it is getting checked in,” said Tyson. Administration holds fast to their reasons for keeping the policy that homework does not count for a grade. One of the main ideas of Grading for Learning is to grade what students learn, not their ability to complete a task like turning in homework. “You can fail a test and do well on your homework and still be able to pass the class, you’re not learning anything from it,” said Gilbert.
School News
WAUWATOSA WEST RECEIVES HEALTH GRANT
by NADIYAH SALAWDEH & ANNA BAISH
The Wauwatosa School District has received a federal grant aiming to support the mental health of students in the Wauwatosa community. The grant establishes Project TEAMS (Tosa Early Awareness of Mental Health Supports), which seeks to train 360 community adults to recognize the symptoms of mental illness in young people and provide effective response. A major component of the program is to make conversations about mental illness more acceptable. Liz Krubsack, Wauwatosa School District Program Director of Project TEAMS, recognizes the negative stigma surrounding mental health, saying that “Just … the language that we use promotes stigma sometimes … You might say ‘she’s crazy’ or people say ‘I’m really ADD today’ but they really don’t have that diagnosis.” This negative stigma increases the need for programs like Project Teams to raise
mental health awareness. District Social Worker, Sue Walczak says that she has “probably asked [students] 5 times this year...‘Are you thinking of killing yourself?’” She says this is a “very hard question to ask.” Although it has an unfavorable stigma, the issue of mental health is becoming more and more prevalent. “I’ve been in education for 25 years, and what I’ve noticed is that students are coming with more [mental health] challenges because students have much more pressure on them than they’ve ever had before,” said Principal Frank Calarco. The grant aims to lower the stigma surrounding mental health by giving an eight hour seminar to over 360 adults at the Fisher Building over the course of two days. One piece of the program involves training community members to recognize mental health issues and what to do in certain situ-
ations. This training is open to all community members over the age of 17, including teachers, parents, and bus drivers. “There’s a lot of misconceptions about people with mental health issues which can make them feel kind of isolated. And so part of this is just teaching people at a basic level what mental health is, what it looks like, and the different forms it can take,” said Krubsack on one of the main reasons for initiation this program. Walczak’s goals with the project are to “help teachers be a little more confident [in identifying mental health issues].” Also, “to guide the people with mental health issues to people who can listen.” Although the training is not mandatory for faculty, many teachers see the value of it. “It’s a good idea. It may allow for a more comfortable environment outside of student’s houses to discuss their issues,” said
Social Studies teacher Ana Baker. Many in the district share the same hopes and goals for the program. “We’re hoping that it’ll make the conversation about mental health more public,” said Tosa United Coordinator Fred Robinson. He continued on to say that “the discomfort people have with mental health is that they just don’t know what to do … If I come in and I say to you, ‘Hey, I’m really depressed’, what do you do, what do you say, how do you respond?” According to Walczak, “[The] bottom line is being a good listener.” By taking Walczak’s advice, and this program, the Wauwatosa community has a chance to better the lives of people with mental health issues.
wauwatosawest.com • PAGE 9
FEAtures and figures
HITTING THE SNOOZE BUTTON
by MICHAEL KOCHANSKI
9:45 PM. Khari Rodgers is finally off of work and must wait for his ride. By 10:15 p.m., Rodgers now must start his homework: a huge load including AP Biology, AP Psychology, Algebra II, and English. About two hours before he must get up for school, he’s finally finished with his homework at 3:45 AM. Five and a half hours of homework takes a toll, especially after a long night of work that can make it daunting. He is not alone. According to the National Sleep Foundation, a nonprofit organization, teenagers need around nine hours every night “to have optimal sleep.” And according to the UCLA Sleep Center, sleep deprivation among teenagers is often misdiagnosed as ADHD because it can lead to a lack of concentration, mood swings, aggressive behavior, and even nervousness. Khari must also squeeze in time to check his phone, listen to music, and spend time with his family. “There’s just not enough time in the day, especially for sleep. Only time I get sleep is on the weekend,” he said. Some students find sleep. Junior Elias Harris gets 7 hours of sleep most nights without a problem, but he doesn’t have a job or any after-school activities, which play a major role in a student’s sleep. But a different point was brought up by Ben Veit, an Academic Resource Teacher (ARC) teacher and Assistant Basketball coach, who said, “Student athletes should be getting at least 6 hours of sleep, but if they are texting until 3 AM. it becomes their fault and responsibility.” He believes a part of a lack of sleep for students can also be their own fault.
A serious challenge for students getting enough sleep is the urge to socialize with their friends on social media. The introduction of technology and social media has strongly affected our sleep. Kashara Williams, a junior, says she stays up some nights until 1:00 AM on her phone, and the same thing is stated by the majority of students at West. No matter the solution, many agree on one thing: sleep is necessary. A few students suggested solutions for those who had a lack of sleep so that they can achieve enough hours of shuteye every night. There was even a suggestion of what the school could do to help students. “I believe students should time themselves. I had to do that for P.E. once. It’s where you record what activities you did every half of an hour for an entire week. This helped me notice what I do, and what I need to make time to do. This will help you stay on task to have a tidier schedule to sleep in better as well,” said sophomore Simone Brensinger. “A possible solution for students not getting enough sleep could be a later start for school, for example 8:15 or 8:30 so students that live further away or have a a really hard time waking up and getting functional don’t have to wake up so early,” said sophomore Jordan Thompson.
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How do we solve sleep loss? YOU have spoken! Check out the highlights: “Later start, less homework, less demands from teachers, more relaxed tardy policy” “Less homework or more time in class to do it, because not everyone has a study hall or the time to do it at home.” “I believe students should time themselves. I had to do that for P.E. once. It’s where you record what activities you did every half of an hour for an entire week. This helped me notice what I do, and what I need to make time to do. This will help you stay on task to have a tidier schedule to sleep in better as well.” “School should end at 3:00 so that we have 10 more minutes to get homework done at home. I know first hand that sometimes, parents want to ‘go out,’ which can lead to less time to do homework and other things you need to do after school.” “It would make me enjoy learning more if I understood why we need classes. I don’t like putting teachers on the spot to answer “Will this matter in the future?”, I just don’t like wasting time, and if I understand why we need classes, it would help me understand my homework so I can avoid procrastinating.” “Go to bed earlier”
Photo by ALICIA PICARD
features and figures
JUST THE FACTS According to our surveys.... The average West Student gets 6.7 hours of sleep each night, and does 1.9 hours of homework
HOURS SPENT ON HOMEWORK
HOURS OF SLEEP EACH NIGHT
DO YOU HAVE A JOB?
DO YOU GET ENOUGH SLEEP?
Survey created by TERESA TOOHILL; administered via District email 3/6 - 3/17; n=338
Infographic by RICK SEAR
wauwatosawest.com • PAGE 11
FEATURES AND FIGURES
Photo by JASMYN KOSIER
WIZARD OF OZ
The Wauwatosa West Trojan Players are bringing The Wizard of Oz to the Tosa West theater this spring. The cast includes 57 high school students and 53 munchkins from 7 different Wauwatosa middle and elementary schools: Eisenhower, Whitman, Underwood, Mckinley, and Madison, as well as 4 students from Emanuel Lutheran. “There’s a lot being put into this production both from the cast side of things as well as all the new features being added in on the technical crew such as a new fly system so we can do the flying monkeys and the witches,” said Student Technical Director Michael Steinke. With director Adam Steffan, choreographer Nancy Armstrong, and technical designer Dale Shively—the technical theater professor at MSOE—all bringing their creativity and experience to this production, the show is set up to be a fantastic production. “I’m excited to be to be putting this classic story on the stage. This is a hard show to do, but we have the right kids to do it and it incorporates so many different people from within our community, not just on stage, but as audience members, technicians, designers, so forth,” said Steffan. The Wizard of Oz is going to require a rather extensive set. It will consist of a 20 foot automated tornado, and flying cast members. Trojan players have hired a New York based company to come and teach several of the cast members, including the actresses that play Dorothy, Miss Gulch, The Wicked Witch, and several of the flying monkeys, how to fly onstage. “I think West has a reputation for putting on amazing shows. Not only is Mr.
Steffan an amazing director, but we have a lot of very very talented students in our theatre department. What I’m particularly excited for with this show is, not only is everyone really talented, but the show itself is going to be a massive spectacle. People are going to be flying, the lighting is going to be insane, and the set and special effects are going to be unlike anything we have done at West before,” said senior Aidan Gabriel, who plays the Tin Man. For Aidan Gabriel and many other cast members, The Wizard of Oz will be the last Trojan Players production they will be taking part in. “In some ways I’m sad, but I’m mostly glad I’ve been able to have been a part of this department and helped it grow into something that this school should be very proud of. Theater is something I am very passionate about and I’m glad I got to participate in it at a school where everyone is equally passionate about it as well,” said Gabriel. While it is the end for some cast members, for others it is just the beginning. Sophomore Emily Pieper is playing one of the main leads, Dorothy. This will be the very first lead Pieper has ever played. “Since Dorothy is so well known, there is a lot of pressure to get her character right and make sure the audience likes her. However, I am so proud and honored to be playing such an iconic role as my first lead, and I’m working hard to be the best I can on stage,” said Pieper. For Pieper, it has been a wonderful experience to have her first lead while still working with other more experienced actors such as Gabriel.
PAGE 12 • wauwatosawest.com
by SPENCER FORSMO
“Working alongside such wonderful and talented actors such as Cobi Tappa, Aidan Gabriel, and Rayven Burdette really has made the experience so educational. I have already discovered so much about acting from them and I hope to continue learning each day,” said Pieper. Whether an old timer or a newbie, Steffan has high hopes for all the students.
“I hope that my students take away a good experience that you can’t get everywhere. The Tosa West Trojan Players is a theater program that was recently recognized nationally as a top theater high school program, and we offer so many things to students, and at the end of the day I hope it is a good experience for them,” said Steffan.
S H OWTIMES A ND T I C KET PRICES ALL SHOWS ARE IN THE WEST AUDITORIUM
April 15, 16, 22, 23
AT 7:00 PM April 17
AT 2:00 PM TICKETS
Adults................................................. Seniors/Students............................. Seniors w/ Gold Pass...................... Students w/ Activity Pass.............. Children 10 and under....................
$15 $12 $10 $10 $8
FEATURES AND FIGURES
OUT OF THE CLOSET: THE COSTUMES of OZ
by RACHEL HAYNES
A great production requires more than just great acting, lighting, makeup, and a stunning set. It also requires great costumes. Joanne Cunningham, a hired costume designer and organizer, displayed a few costumes and props from the upcoming show: The Wizard of Oz. There’s a cast of 110 people for whom costumes and props are designed, rented, borrowed, or found here at Tosa West. Here’s a few examples:
GLINDA’S DRESS DESCRIPTION: A light blue ball gown that is covered in crystals. The original dress didn’t have sleeves; the attached sleeves come from a coat of the same color as the dress. DID YOU KNOW... In the movie, Glinda’s dress was actually pink, but in the Tosa West show, it is blue to match the munchkins’ costumes.
HATS
DESCRIPTION: The hats correspond with the character they’re going to be worn by. The hats with the Scarecrow and Sunflowers are incorporated into the dance with the Scarecrow. DID YOU KNOW... There are 110 people in the cast. So, there will be about 150 different hats in use during the production, because some of the dancers use 4-5 different hats just for one character.
TREE SUIT AND HAT DESCRIPTION: A soft, brown, onesie-type material that represents the base of the tree. In addition, there is a hat with attached branches with apples and green leaves. Photos by RACHEL HAYNES
DID YOU KNOW... This costume is borrowed from a theater in Germantown.
FLYING MONKEY WINGS DESCRIPTION: There’s a onesie style black suit for the body of a monkey; there’ll be black feathers shaped to make wings for the creatures.
DID YOU KNOW... Not everyone is going to fly, but they have to build the costumes in such a way that the harnesses for flying can be attached to them.
MORE TRIVIA TO IMPRESS THE FAMILY: Since there are multiple costumes, the department rented and borrowed from several places including, among others: Tosa East, Sunset Playhouse, Children’s Theatre, and University Lake School. Costumes for the Lion and the Tinman will be rented from Skylight. There’ll be two basic colors for the show, green and blue, to represent Oz and then the Munchkins. Munchkins are seen in the movie with all these colorful clothing and accessories, but in the original text they’re blue; in the end the show will be following the book.
wauwatosawest.com • PAGE 13
T Aat T T O O S Tosa West FEATURES AND FIGURES
Thomas Leonard got his first tattoo when he was 15. “It’s my grandma's name, Mary, with RIP before it. I got it in remembrance of my grandmother.” Leonard’s grandmother died from cancer when he was 10 years old. Her house was down the block from Leonard’s and the center for regular gatherings for his large, extended family. “I like that it reminds me of her even though I knew so little about her. It reminds me of her and now she is gone. She was just a sweet old lady.” Leonard has an interesting story for each of his three tattoos. Each one is also illegal. According to Wisconsin State Statute 940.70 Tattooing of Children, “Any person who tattoos or offers to tattoo a child is subject to a Class D forfeiture.” In other words, it is illegal to give a tattoo to anyone under the age of 18 anywhere in Wisconsin. The laws regulating who can and cannot get tattoos vary by state according to the National Council on State Legislators. For example, it is illegal for a minor to get a tattoo in the surrounding states of Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois, but legal for a minor with parental consent to get a tattoo in Indiana or Michigan. In Milwaukee, tattoo artists caught will pay a “forfeiture” or fine, will lose their licence and potentially face other penalties from city and state regulations, said Julie Holtz, an Environmental Health Coordinator with the Milwaukee Health Department But these laws did not stop Leonard from getting his tattoo in a licensed tattoo parlor in Milwaukee. “They look for business rather than my ID, I just went in and signed the form and I got the tattoo. They didn’t check my ID,” Leonard said. Anyone getting a tattoo in Milwaukee must complete a form asking a series of questions. The form also asks for verification of their age. The city of Wauwatosa does not currently license tattoo parlors. “We tell them to post proper signage, and if someone lets us know they did... someone under the age of 18, we do investigation, issue orders and take enforcement as needed.” Holtz said There is no program to randomly check compliance of these regulations, but several establishments contacted understood the rules. “Penetration to the skin of a minor is illegal. Any tattoo artist giving a tattoo to a
minor will lose their license. We are serious about making sure minors do not get tattoos. ” said Frank Flores of World Class Tattoo. The larger problem facing the health department and licensed tattooing establishments are people buying their equipment on-line and selling or giving away tattoos in their homes. “There are some people who buy the stuff on ebay and look up how to do it on youtube and some people are just garbage,” said Flores. Holtz says that the greater concerns with home tattoos are the potential health risks. Because the process of getting a tattoo involves a needle penetrating the skin and injecting ink below the surface, there is a serious danger of transmitting blood borne diseases like tetanus, Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C. The illegal home option offers anyone under 18 an easy place to get a tattoo. Thomas Leonard’s third tattoo was done in
the apartment of a person training to be a tattoo artist. “He had a room in his apartment dedicated to tattooing, he took a needle out of the packaging used it on me and then he used a different needle for my brother. He now works at a licensed shop,” said Leonard. A free tattoo given in a house is still illegal. Tattooing does not require that any kind of compensation be exchanged between the person giving the tattoo and the person receiving it. “If a friend gives you a tattoo for free and he is not licensed to do so, he has committed a crime even though he never asked for or received any payment from you,” said Criminal Defense Lawyer Mark Theoharis. However, to be a licensed tattoo artist, there is no requirement to be trained or complete a formal apprenticeship program. Individuals buy equipment and give their friends tattoos for free in order to practice. “I gave a few to people but most of them
by SYDNEY BOLTON
were family, close friends, and people over 18. I never charged much for a tattoo because I know that I am just a beginner and nowhere close to being professional yet. I stopped and am trying to get trained,” said a Tosa West graduate who wished to remain anonymous to avoid prosecution. The Milwaukee Health Department responded to a call about someone giving tattoos in their basement and posting ads on Craigslist. They called, and when it was time for their “appointment,” police issued citations to those who were giving tattoos. Getting a tattoo when you are under 18 not only poses serious health risks, but you may also make a decision you regret. Senior Colin Hogan got his first tattoo “Milwaukee 414” when he was in the 8th grade from a basement tattoo artist. He eventually travelled to Indiana with his parents to get it covered up with roses. “I don’t know I just didn’t want some ghetto tattoos on my arm no more,” he said.
Junior Alyssa Pumphrey tattoo of a rose and her mother’s birthday written in roman numerals is on her upper left forearm. “You have to live with your decisions, so if you feel like you can live with this decision for the rest of your life, go for it. But if you feel like a tattoo isn’t right for you at this time in your life, and like in the future that maybe you won’t get a job then don’t get it.” said Pumphrey. Pumphrey visited three different tattoo parlors to get her tattoo completed. She was never asked for identification.
PAGE 14 • wauwatosawest.com
Photo and caption by ZOE STACK
FEATURES AND FIGURES
ART STUDENTS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? by AMY LUNDE
Attends Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD)
MAJOR: New Studio Practice “NSP [New Studio Practice] is where all the fine arts majors have been combined into one. That being said, MIAD no longer has photography, sculpture, and drawing as individual majors, but rather has created a program of study where all can be practiced at the same time, or individually, giving more options for the students.”
ON WEST’S ART DEPARTMENT:
“I took almost every class that was available in the art department while I was at West. I loved every art class that I took and I can honestly say that each one has helped me with my current classes in practicing technique and being familiar with different media.”
LIFE NOW:
ENTO V N E RE 014 MAU 2 f o s Clas
“I am currently in the process of applying for an internship for next semester with an artist...My main job at the moment is school. I have just launched my website—maureenv.com—for my portfolio and an eventual shop for my work. This has taken up a good chunk of time and money, but has been well worth it.”
Attends DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana
MAJOR: Art History MINOR: History and Russian Studies ON WEST’S ART DEPARTMENT:
“The art department at West was my favorite place. Ms. Belich and Mrs. Marris have a way of commanding attention and instilling hope and passion into their students and they both have been role models for me in fulfilling my dreams of being a teacher.”
LIFE NOW:
“I received the Efroymson Fellowship in the Spring of 2013, which allowed me to study the Russian language in order to further my skills as an art historian. My focus as an art historian is female 20th century Russian artists...I studied art history in the Czech Republic! I studied for a semester in Prague the spring of 2014 and went to the Prague National Gallery every week.”
ELLEN SAUTE R Class o f 2012
Attends Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) in Missouri
MAJOR: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography ON WEST’S ART DEPARTMENT:
“All classes with Mrs. Marris and Ms. Belich definitely prepared me for college (as best as one can prepare for college). They were both motivating forces in my life and still to this day I think about the impact they had on me.”
ANALP L P B A ALAINA f 2013 Class o
“I will be doing an internship next semester. For many of the departments at KCAI, completing an internship is required for you to graduate. This really helps push you into making connections that last, as well as making it easier to find a job once you graduate...I have been making connections with an organization in Kansas City and plan to continue my relationship with them. A high percentage of students will either already have a job in their related field during their senior year or have plans to set in stone to start a job right after they graduate.”
Photos shared by their owners
LIFE NOW:
wauwatosawest.com • PAGE 15
FEATURES AND FIGURES
REFUGEES COME TO MILWAUKEE
by KENNA GALLEGOS-ROLL
Nicole Ndanda and her family moved to Milwaukee in 2007. They did not move from another city in Wisconsin, or from another state. The Ndanda family came from the Congo. The Nanda family are refugees. Two of the Nanda children now attend Wauwatosa West High School. Nicole Nanda is a senior, and her brother, Franc Nanda is a junior. They now live in America with their mother. Back in the Congo, the Nanda father was a Congolese War General. He did not agree with the senseless killings of people that the government had been promoting. His disagreement lead to him being killed by soldiers in front of his family in in 2002. “It was September...no, November 2, 2002. It was in the morning, [and] we were outside brushing our teeth, and we got a visit, a bunch of soldiers came to our house, a whole group of them, probably 200 of them, and they came and surrounded our house. They kind of were counting down, so when he [her father] didn’t come out, they took him, and a couple of minutes later, like, one of the body guards came rushing out, like, screaming, ‘they killed him.’ They killed him. I guess my mom had seen it, cause she was standing at the door,” Nicole recalled. After this incident, the Nanda family fled from country to country, trying to find some place safe to stay However, they couldn’t stay in one place too long. “My mom, she like… has the worst depression and posttraumatic stress disorder, so staying in one place for long periods of time wasn’t possible,” she said. During this time, Nicole’s mother was very pregnant, and they eventually managed to stay in Tanzania long enough for their mother to give birth and recuperate enough for her to able to travel. In Tanzania they set their sights on finding asylum in South Africa. Getting into South Africa wasn’t an easy task. The government in South Africa at the time was very stingy with giving out asylum and letting outsiders into their country. So one night with the help of a family friend Nicole’s family managed to sneak over the border into South Africa. They found a refugee camp for women and children and set up there. They had been walking for months and finally had reached a safe place to stay. “I used to never go to school, because we had to go tell our story to this person, then the next person, so we could get the word out to show that we deserve the asylum… no one believed us until September 2007. Our house was attacked and lit on fire. That’s why I don’t have any pictures of my dad…. Everything was burnt. My little brother was still in the house, and we kept
calling his name. Eventually, my mother ran in and got him. Once they stepped outside of the house [it] just collapsed… Then people started believing our stories,” said Nicole. Shortly after their house was burnt to the ground, the Nanda family earned asylum to the United States. The Nanda family are not alone in their struggles. Within the last several years, the number of refugees has soared. According to the BBC News 2015 article Number displaced worldwide hits record high—UN report, 2014 saw a record high number, 60 million, of people displaced by war, conflict or persecution. In 2015, according to the Migration Policy Institute website, the United Nations high Commissioner for Refugees estimated that by mid 2014 there were more than 1.2 million asylum seekers worldwide. Though many residents do not know it, Milwaukee is a large hub for people seeking asylum. Throughout Milwaukee, agencies that are dedicated to helping these asylum seekers can be found. One local agency is Catholic Charities. Each year they help a large number of refugees settle and build their lives in Milwaukee. Last year they helped relocate 473 refugees alone in the Greater Milwaukee area, and for the year 2016, they predict to help just over 500 individuals. Mira Hayes, the director of Catholic Charities, was once a refugee from Burma. She herself knows firsthand the worries and fears these asylum seekers experience when they are finally allowed to enter the United States. “The first 24 hours are important because they have to get to their homes and a lot of these people have lived in refugee camps. Everything is new, even the thermostat, or the toilet, or even learning to lock the door,” Hayes said. Edumukono Zetho, one of the caseworkers for Catholic Charities, was also once a refugee himself. When he came to America, Catholic Charities helped him through the process. Now he feels the need to give back to the organization that once helped him in his time of need. “When you’re a refugee and you help refugees, you have three things. Number one, compassion to help them; number two, desire; number three, the skills that we get from the states and from the agency... to succeed and be someone in this country. I want people to know refugees are the people fleeing persecution, religion, war, or formal disaster from the original country, which means they lost everything,” said Zetho.
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FEATURES AND FIGURES
MINORITY TEACHERS
by THOMAS LEONARD
High school is well known to be a time of turmoil, a time of inner conflict. One major asset that students have are the teachers who are with them everyday, all day, that they can talk to, relate to, and hopefully listen to. Those four years can be much harder if you don’t have a teacher that you can relate to. Such is the case with Jermayne Allen. “In high school I only had a few black teachers, teachers that looked like me or knew my background,” said Allen. Allen, who is currently preparing for graduation, reflects on his high school challenges as a student who saw very little color in the classroom. This year, Allen was faced with inevitable obstacles that he feels would have been a lot easier to deal with if he had had a teacher similar to him. “My most helpful teacher was a black man, Mr. Wilkerson, at Washington High School. He knew how to talk to me in a way I could understand,” Allen stated. According to state data cited in the Wisconsin State Journal 2014 article I never had a teacher that looked like me: Challenges exist in hiring a diverse staff, less than 5 percent of Wisconsin’s school teachers and other staff are non-white. The 2013-2014 Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s School Staff: Salary, Position and Demographic Pl-1202 Fall Staff Report stated that of the 58,144 teachers employed in public schools in Wisconsin, 55,461 were White, 1,050 were African American, 915 were Hispanic, and 412 were Asian. At the national level, a report by the
Center for American Progress (CAP) found that minority students make up almost 40 percent of American public schools, while minority teachers only make up about 17 percent. Also according to the CAP report, the gap between minority students and minority teachers can be linked to low graduation rates of minority groups. “None of my white teachers knew my struggle, so I imagine it being hard for them to identify with it. They didn’t really know what I experienced. It was different from their reality,” Allen said. An American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education study found that over 80 percent of bachelor’s degrees earned in education given during the 20092010 school year were awarded to white students. University of Wisconsin-Madison registrar data shows that during the 2013-2014 school year, 16 out of the 131 students receiving degrees in elementary education were minorities, with just 3 of the 16 being black. A 2013-2014 analysis report collected by researchers from the Public Policy Forum showed that 16 of 53 metro area Milwaukee public school districts did not employ a single minority teacher. About 33% of students enrolled in the Wauwatosa school district are students of color. The percentage of teachers hired of color make up about 3.5% of its workforce. “The diversity effort is advancing in our recruitment. We want to make it a more personal approach by reaching out to our
surrounding universities to select candidates for the Wauwatosa district,” said Willie Garrison, Supervisor for Equity and Student Services for the Wauwatosa School District. The district’s plan is to invest in teachers from Marquette University and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to engage staff who present cultural similarity to minority students. Garrison wants to give students the chance at having color in the classroom, but also wants to protect and blanket minority students from candidates who look like them, but could potentially be simply that-- a look alike. “I think it does have a huge affect on students. But color does not always matter. Being in education we have to be very selective about who we put in front of students,” said Garrison. For Garrison, the reality of seeing many classroom teachers who do not share a similar background to their students is not a foreign experience at all. “Growing up in the south, I did not see a lot of minority teachers. But having them gave me another relationship, relationships that are still in place.” said Garrison. Junior Miranda Brehmer said, “I never had black or hispanic teachers,” noting an equal testimony much like many in their district. “I think that’s something that a person should be able to experience.” Wauwatosa School District Director of Human Resources Craig Hubbell added, “I think minority students wanting to have
teachers that look like them is a way of saying we want to belong just like everyone.” But much like Garrison, Hubbell wants to ensure protocol for the protection of all students in the district. “The educational experience is a holistic experience that enhances everyone.” This lack of minority teachers is not much different at a national level. Across the country, student enrollment does not match demographic identity of teachers. Nearly 82 percent of public school teachers are white and a lasting question remains: “how do minority teachers benefit students?” Professors from the University of Pennsylvania, Richard Ingersoll and Henry May, suggested in the Center for American Progress article Teacher Diversity Revisited: A New State-by-State Analysis that “minority students benefit from being taught by minority teachers, because minority teachers are likely to have ‘insider knowledge’ due to similar life experiences and cultural backgrounds.” The Economics of Education Review recently published a study reporting that black, white, and Asian students all tested higher when their teacher shared the same ethnicity compared to when they didn’t. One demanding factor stands that students of all backgrounds and ethnicities can, and soon will, benefit from diversity in the teaching and learning environment.
Math teacher Tyler Banh is one of just a few minority teachers at Wauwatosa West. He is also one of just a few minority teachers throughout the state of Wisconsin. According to the 2013-2014 Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Fall Staff Report, of the 58,144 teachers employed in public schools in Wisconsin, 55461 were White, 1,050 African American, 915 Hispanic and 412 Asian. “In predominantly white institutions, like school is, if there aren’t role models that are minorities, then minorities won’t aspire to certain positions. I hope that with my presence I can inspire more Asian American teachers, but maybe in general just more minority teachers,” said Banh. Photo by RACHEL HAYNES, Caption by ZOE STACK
wauwatosawest.com • PAGE 17
SPORTS AND ATHLETICS
DOUBLE TROUBLE:
SWImming with THE LARSONS
by JADE GRIPPE & MELISSA WITTIG
Brother and sister Danny and Julia Larson have been swimming since each was 4 years old, and they feel like it has become a part of their daily lives. Danny, a star since he started swimming, won 2nd place in the 200 freestyle freshman year. Julia placed 19th in state her freshman year. Both started their swimming careers at Express, a swim club in Waukesha, and they both hope to pursue swimming in the future at college. “I would like to go to a college in North Carolina, because I went there and saw the campus. It’s a D1 School, with a small campus, which is what I would like,” says Julia. Danny does not know for certain where he wants to go, but he does know he wants to try to continue swimming in college. When asked what their favorite stroke was, they both replied with “freestyle,” which isn’t surprising, because it is a common favorite. Julia seems to take after her brother a lot, following his footsteps on the swim team and staying dedicated because of him, even attributing why she takes swimming so seriously to him. “Probably because of my siblings. Even if I didn’t want to go to practice, I always had someone to go with me. It wasn’t all up to me,” said Julia, showing that Danny was
her motivation all these years. Both want to accomplish great things, and both have set high standards for themselves. “My siblings and I are very dedicated to the sport and that would be the biggest contributor to our success,” Danny said.
PAGE 18 • wauwatosawest.com
Their dedication plays an important role in their success, both knowing that it doesn’t come easily. It isn’t unknown that Danny has been successful in his 3 years at West. Wit h
a now-graduated sister, Anna Larson, Julia finds it’s going to be a little hard to match up to them, Danny especially. Asked if there will be sibling pressure, Julia said, “Me and Anna are at the same level, so it’s not like that. But, obviously Danny seeing as he wins everything.” Although all three of the Larsons seem to be very successful, it does not come easily. Even though it may be easy for them now, both recognize that it’s hard to get to where they currently are in their swim careers. Both have similar advice to other athletes who want to improve in their sport. “Just to work hard! And just because you didn’t perform the way you would like, you should still strive for greatness,” Julia says. “The advice I would give to other athletes is set your goals high, and if you work hard enough, you can achieve anything. For anyone interested in swimming, I would tell them it can be a lot of fun, but you need to be ready to work hard,” concluded Danny.
Photo courtesy of the Larson family, background photos by DAVID MEI
SPORTS AND ATHLETICS
COURTSIDE WITH COACH STELSE Chad Stelse is a basketball coach here at Wauwatosa West High School, and he is a teacher at Whitman Middle School. He has been teaching for eight years, and this is his third year in the Wauwatosa School District. He has coached at Wauwatosa West for 11 years. This year he coached the team through a 11-13 season. The team made it to the playoffs and then lost against John Marshall High School. West Side Stories got a chance to sit down with him and get the behind-the-scenes, courtside scoop on those things that make the game happen. Tell me about teaching in the Wauwatosa School District. What do you teach? I teach 8th grade STEM at Whitman Middle School. I absolutely love the teamwork over there, a lot of collaboration with the teachers that makes my life a lot easier, and the students are great. I enjoy working with them day in and day out. Where did you go to high school? Can you tell me about your career as a basketball player in high school? College? Why was basketball a benefit to your life? I went to high school at Lake Geneva Badger. I did play basketball; it was a joy. The older you get the better the memories are. I think we were pretty good; we were conference champions. We were one game away from our goal; we lost in the sectional finals. I played basketball in college as well, UW-Whitewater for four years. What inspired you to be a coach? I love the game. My dad was a coach for 25 years. I grew up in the gym, but he never forced me to play or like the sport; I loved it from the get go. I have an unbelievable passion for it, and if I didn’t I wouldn’t be doing this. What one word or phrase do you want people to associate with your name? Hardworking, prepared, motivated. Tell me about the team. What are the strengths of the team? What are the weaknesses of the team? We’re long. We’re out rebounding almost every team we play. I think we can do that even more. It gives us more opportunities. We need to shoot the ball more consistently. We have games where we really shoot the ball, well others, not so much. Part of that is shot selection, and part of that is just not playing consistently well on both ends of the court.
What will make you say, “We had a good practice”? What is a successful practice? What is a successful season? Energy and effort throughout. Much like our record is up and down, we have been inconsistent. I shouldn’t have to get on guys to work harder once they figure out that they need to bring it, bring that energy and intensity for the whole practice that’ll bring a smile to my face. Describe the organization of a typical practice. Day in and day out I have plans for every practice throughout the season. We adjust accordingly to our upcoming opponents; but, we’re pretty consistent with what we do throughout the season. It’s a little bit different the first few weeks of the season before we get into the schedule. A lot of conditioning and toughness work, and then once the season starts, I have practice plans everyday, and we adjust, like I said, to our upcoming opponents. How do you handle the tryout and cut process? Everybody in the school is eligible to try out, as long as they take care of it in the classroom, anybody can try out. We try to get cuts done in 3-4 days at the most, and then we like to have all three levels have our final team by that Thursday. We usually start tryouts on a Monday. What is your philosophy in regards to juniors on the junior varsity and freshman players being moved up to JV or Varsity? Skill level. Normally freshmen would stay with freshmen, sophomores would be with the JV, and juniors and seniors are on the Varsity team. We’ve had a few situations the past several seasons where guys are talented enough as freshmen or sophomores, and I see their skill set throughout the year, and in the summer, so I have an idea of who we have before the season even starts. This year, for instance, we have a sophomore up on Varsity, and now we have a freshman that was moved up. How has coaching affected your life? How does it impact your family? I try to create a family atmosphere with every player to enter our program, so our family has gotten a lot bigger the last five years. I’ve been coaching here 11 years and head coach the last 5 years. I build relationships with each of my players, or at least I try to. With that, my family gets involved too. They’re nothing but supportive. We also deal with off-the-court situations that might come up with players and former
players. We keep in touch; any player that comes into our program is like extended family, and when that happens, it takes up a lot of time that I’m willing to devote, and my family is behind me every step of the way. What is your philosophy of coaching and its relationship to education? If they are not taking care of it in the classroom, they do not see the court. Anytime there is a behavior issue, not getting work in, the teacher will contact me. Then I will sit down with the player first, and give them chance to get their in, and their grade up. If that doesn’t happen, they will not get playing time. If it continues to be an issue, they do not suit up. So, we take care of it in the classroom first and foremost. This group this season, for the most part, has been an outstanding bunch of great character guys, and I haven’t had too many situations where we have to discipline because of situations that might come up in the classroom. When they do, we take care of them to the best of our ability.
by DAIJA CHOMICKI
a work
Photo by Michael Kochanski
wauwatosawest.com • PAGE 19
SPECIAL FEATURE
WEST JOURNALISTS ATTEND DEMOCRATIC DEBATE
by TERESA TOOHILL
On Thursday, February 11th, Wauwatosa West students involved in the journalism program were invited to attend the Democratic Debate held at the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin. Wauwatosa West is one of many schools throughout the country involved with PBS Newshour Student Reporting Labs, a program that connects schools and their students to PBS news stations and news correspondents. “Attending the debate was exciting, particularly because it wasn’t just the politics we were interested in,” said junior Rick Sear, a member of the Leadership Team who was able to attend the debate. “Since we were shooting a ‘behind-the-scenes’ video with Student Reporting Labs, I got to experience a lot of aspects of the debate that I never even would’ve thought about, such as the whole lighting booth, enormous cameras, set design, and the incredible amount of prep work that goes into the debate beforehand.” Chris Lazarski, the advisor of the Wauwatosa West Journalism program, noted, “Students in our school doing journalism, they would cover school events or events in here in Wauwatosa. But with PBS Newshour, it serves to amplify the voice of students. The stuff that students were working on, the video they were shooting, could be seen by over a million people. Instead of students just producing content for a smaller audience, it gives them a larger audience.” Four students involved with the journalism program were invited to attend the debate, and were able to film a behind-thescenes segment to air on PBS Newshour through Student Reporting Labs. “Students learn a lot by working with Student Reporting Labs. But perhaps the
most important lesson that they learn is how to make their voices heard. Youth are usually ignored, which is a shame, because they provide a fresh and unique perspective on subjects that sometimes adults don’t pick up on. Through SRL, students learn how to become better storytellers who don’t go unnoticed,” said Anita Wright, one of the PBS Newshour Student Reporting Labs representatives that came from Washington to help students at the debate. Wright headed up the social media coverage and trained one of the students on how to produce social media for such an event as the debate. “I learned so much from everyone, the Student Reporting Labs producers, Jordan Vassey and Anita Wright, Mr. Lazarski, and the other students I went with,” said debate attendee senior Zoe Stack, also a member of the leadership team. “Learning everything that must go into putting on such a huge production such as a Democratic Debate was simply amazing and eye opening.” Students also stressed the importance of getting involved with Student Reporting Labs in their interviews, and opened up about the opportunities it gave them. “Even if you’re not covering a political debate and you’re doing a feature on Fat Tuesday at Cranky’s, just working with Anita and Jordan from SRL was an awesome opportunity,” said Sear. “It’s a chance to work with authentic equipment in an authentic environment with people who know what they’re doing. Even if you’re not planning on doing journalism with your life, the experience of talking to strangers and shooting video builds a lot of foundational skills that are important for being a well-rounded person.” “You are in such a journalism bubble
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you can’t help but learn something. You are surrounded by real journalists, in the field, doing real journalism. I really wanted an autograph from NBC’s Kristen Welker, I got it by the way, but I had to walk up and interrupt her from working on writing her story coverage of the debate. Kristen had just come back from shooting a live broadcast piece, and interviewing people in the spin room. This is a woman who is often seen on television broadcast. That experience right there showed me how a modern day journalist needs to be able to do everything in journalism today. All I wanted was a signature, and I learned a monumental journalistic lesson,” said Stack. Besides the mention of their noteworthy experience, students and advisors also talked about learning valuable skills as part of their experience at the debate. “From a social media standpoint, I would say that I relearned that less is more. When tweeting or captioning a photo, the less words used the better,” said Wright. “I learned that there’s always an interesting opportunity, no matter how unlikely it may seem. Before this foray, I never would’ve thought about doing a ‘behindthe-scenes’ feature on a political debate, but now I realize that there’s way too much backstage work to be ignored. I never would’ve considered going to the debate to talk to people other than the candidates, but that’s precisely what we did, and I got a lot out of it,” said Sear. There was also mention of other events students attended previously, and how they contrast from the Democratic Debate. “I think that the biggest thing I learned was that I can not take one example or experience and say that that is how all such events go. I covered the RNC Debate back in November, and it was vastly different than the experience I had at the Democratic Debate,” said Stack. Students were also asked how they felt about being alongside the professional press, and whether or not they felt intimidated. “I would say that at first I did feel intimidated by them. Even though we are told to go with the angle that we are high school journalists, and thus, people would love to talk to us, it was hard to not think, why would people want to talk to us when instead they could talk to a real journalist like Tamara Keith or Lisa Desjardins. However, in the end I saw how just like real people these people were. Even though I admire these journalists and think that they must be amazing and better people than me, it was like one of those “they’re just like us”
moments that other people have with movie stars,” said Stack. All of the attendees expressed the importance of being involved with journalism as well. “They learn how to write, to take pictures, to produce video, but most importantly they learn how to think like a journalist. When you approach an event, you’re constantly engaged and constantly thinking of new ways to present that information. Reporting on things forces you to examine things from a different perspective, which can benefit you, even if you have no interest in going into journalism beyond high school,” said Lazarski. “Journalism gives students many opportunities that they otherwise wouldn’t have. Even though it sounds cliched, I have to say that it opens doors for students. It brings you into contact with people you otherwise would not have the chance to meet or talk to. People have such opportunities as covering national presidential debates,” said Stack. However, it wasn’t only West students that expressed the importance of being involved with journalism. “Students should be interested in journalism, because everyone should want their story to be heard. It’s through journalism that they’ll learn how to do that. It is only by listening and learning from other people’s stories and experiences that we become more understanding people and promote a greater humanity,” said Wright.
Photos courtesy of Student Reporting Labs